Here’s the thing about excuses: They’re nonsense.
(There’s another popular term we won’t use here.)
You say you don’t have time or money to take care of yourself? How about, “I’m too old” for good measure?
Those are the most common barriers to fitness that we hear. They are all NONSENSE.
Facts are: You have the time and money – and you are NEVER TOO OLD to benefit from exercise. In fact, by this point in life, you probably have the extra super-power of motivation that younger people simply lack: If you don’t move your body, you will lose the ability to use it. Period.
No. 1: ‘I Don’t Have Time’
To paraphrase a famous saying, People who don’t have time to stay strong will lose more time when they get weak.
Let’s say people get an average of 25,915 days, or about 71 years, to live. Of that, they spend just 0.69 percent (or 180 days) exercising. That’s according to a survey of more than 9,000 people around the world.
The survey also reports that people stare at a screen 41 percent of the time, or 10,625 days.
The World Health Organization and the US government suggest people get at least 2½ hours every week of moderate-intensity exercise. A Harvard study says that just 15 minutes a day can add three years to your life. And the Journal of the American Medical Association said that not exercising puts you at greater risk than smoking and diabetes.
Still say you don’t have time?
‘It’s Too Expensive’
Last time we checked, walking around the neighborhood was free. So was working in the garden. So was tossing a frisbee with your grandkids. So were jogging and countless other forms of good exercise.
If you want to join a studio, gym, or other fitness center, there are many options for every budget.
Exercise reduces healthcare costs, including medications, and the time lost to illness and injury. Investing in yourself with fitness pays huge dividends, including financially.
Compare it to…
- Tall café latte at Starbucks: $2.95, plus tax. Multiplied by how many you have a month.
- Cable or Satellite TV. Subscribers paid an average of $107 per month in 2017.
- Hair coloring and highlights: About $80-$150.
- Smoking and drinking: The average Boomer who still smokes spends about $150 a month on the habit, not counting health care costs, the Labor Department says. Boomers average another $45 a month on alcohol.
Now, we’re not saying you should spend more or less on this or that item – even fitness. The quality of your exercise program is not directly related to the amount of money you spend on it.
That’s why we consider our pricing very seriously to offer you excellence and value every day.
Think of it as an investment in time and money. The best investment you can make.
At any age.
Holly Kouvo is a personal trainer, functional aging specialist, senior fitness specialist, brain health trainer, writer, and speaker.